Have you been looking for someone to help with administration, accounting, or inbound marketing for your business?

The real headache many businesses face is probably being torn between bringing in someone full-time or outsourcing the work to an expert. And yet, the hiring process is a highly critical one. After all, your team determines how well a business runs and impacts the business’s activity or project outcome.

Read on to learn what to consider when deciding whether to use an outsourced sales development representative or in-house and both options’ benefits.

Factors to Consider When Deciding Whether to Outsource or in-House

Unfortunately, there’s no clear line that defines when to in-house and when to outsource. The only way for business owners to get the right fit is by assessing every situation and making decisions based on the unique characteristics of the situation.

However, to make it easier for you to decide on when to go for either option, here are some steps to follow:

1. Identify What Area You Can Outsource

Before settling on outsourcing, it’s crucial to identify the areas you can outsource. Additionally, you need to determine where you need help right away. Such areas may include:

Accounting
Online marketing-especially PPC campaigns, SEO, mobile website, and inbound marketing
IT maintenance
Website maintenance and development
Online support or call centers
Software development and programming.
Sales Development (outsourced SDRs)

2. Consider All the Costs

The financial differences between in-housing and outsourcing are something a business ought to consider. They shouldn’t forget to include the costs either option accrues on emotional energy and time.

Hiring in-house costs less in theory. However, managing new staff comes with new responsibilities, including ensuring they have enough work and providing training and career development opportunities to keep your employees motivated.

Remember, you’ll also need to invest in space and equipment for your new employee.

3. Assess Business-Critical Functions

Business functions vary between those that are part of running the company and those that are part of the business model. Of course, these functions differ from one business to the other.

For example, some businesses rely on online marketing for their competitive advantage. Their performance in it is what determines the amount of money the company makes.

On the other hand, some businesses only use online marketing as a tool for maintaining sales. For such firms, their critical functions rest in design or manufacturing.

If the help you’re seeking is not meant for a core function to your business setup, outsourcing would be better as it minimizes the responsibilities.

4. Consider Your Business Culture

Every business has its own culture that defines who they are. And your business culture may be what attracts customers and makes them love your brand.

Therefore, if your organization has a unique culture that all staff have to follow, it would be better to in-house a full-time employee. That’s because a freelancer or external agency may come close to matching your culture, but they can never be completely like you.

5. Look Out for Market Availability of Skills

Market realities must play a part in deciding which option best fits a business.

Why, some business owners may go for in-housing, only to realize there’s no marketing or technical skills among their employees, leaving them no choice but to outsource.

When deciding, consider the unavailability of skills in the market. Also, explore whether you’ll find the professionalism level you’re looking for and for the budget you’ve set.

When Is Hiring In-House the Right Fit For Your Business?

The following are situations where hiring in-house is ideal for your business:

When you have a unique culture that defines your organization, requiring every person you work with and what they do to follow the culture
When your business is large, boasting a powerful employer brand
When the function is critical to your business model
When the activities to accomplish are highly confidential and exposing them to the public would damage your organization.
What Are the Benefits of Hiring in-House?

The following are benefits of hiring in-house:

You’ll have more control over the cost.
An employee will easily buy into your organization.
You can retain the knowledge and skills acquired working on the function for later use.
The employees are familiar with everything that goes on in your firm because they are probably there all the time. It will be easier for them to work on the project.

When Is Outsourcing the Right Fit For Your Business?

The following are situations when outsourcing is the best fit for your business:

When the function is not a core competency of your business structure or model
When your business is small and trying to find its roots in the market
When it’s not clear to you that the work you’re hiring for will continue after the current project.

What Are the Benefits of Outsourcing?

Below are the benefits of outsourcing:

You will incur no costs on equipment. If there are tools required for the task, the contractor takes care of the expenses.
Onboarding employees from an external company is easier. You’ll need not train, raise pay, manage vacations and sick leaves as it would have been with engaging a new employee.
Outsourcing guarantees continuous working on your project. There is no downtime or any unscheduled delays or stops to your project.
Outsourcing is likely to get your experts with high professionalism and more experience in the field you’re working. For instance, finding an outsourced sales development representative to work on leads and boost your sales is easy. They usually deliver.

Have You Ever Considered an Outsourced Sales Development Representative?

Outsourcing a sales development representative comes in handy in lead generation, allowing your business to close more sales. The outsourced SDR will vet leads and schedule sales meetings, taking away the hassles that come with this process away from you. What’s left for your sales team is only to close the sales.

The outsourced SDRs learn your brand, understand its tone, and use their expertise to make selling easy for your organization.

Final Word

When choosing between an outsourced sales development representative or in-housing, there’s often nothing like choosing either/or. There can only be a project where working with an in-house employee is better, and some functions where outsourcing is ideal. Some projects require the input of an external contractor and, at some point, managing the rest in-house.

The best thing to do is design a solution that fits your business needs right and considers the market’s realities.